RevitalizationofRivers In IndiaDraftPolicy Recommendation RESULT AREAS INDICATORS Nursery Planting Green cover Maintenance Volunteer Participation Skill acquisition Public mobilization Quantity of saplings, species of saplings and survival rates Number of trees planted, species, location Geographical Information System (In implementation phase) Surveys on Sapling Survival and Growth Registration numbers Evaluation tests at the end of training period Number of events, Participation numbers in events Greenhands expected a number of challenges to the project, and these risks were classified under the following segments: RISK Natural Calamities Non co-operation of villagers Financial risk Nurturing of saplings RISING UP TO THE CHALLENGE To undertake surveys after the calamity. This would be followed by replanting of saplings. Selection of villages that were having a harmonious relationship with other activities ofIsha Foundation. Obtaining official consent from authorities and village heads in advance. Application for third party funding Usage of quality seeds, training to people, regular maintenance of saplings and nurseries There were situations when maintenance of documentation was difficult. “There are times when the usage of templates may not be effective. Volunteers come and go. There is also the necessity to ensure that information systems are aligned to local needs. Many grassroots level workers may not be having the system skills and basic English language skills. Due to the same, documentation was difficult during the initial stages of the project,” mentioned Maheshwari, who coordinated with activities Annexures 699

RevitalizationofRivers In IndiaDraftPolicy Recommendation related to information systems. “Greenhands have strong reporting system. We should now strengthen the evaluation based on the data we collect – project analysis, impact analysis etc.” continued Maheshwari. She also observed that the human aspect also had to be taken into consideration. Many volunteers had the inclination to be part of core activities and considered documentation related aspects as secondary. Swami echoed a similar sentiment. “Collecting data from the field volunteers is a difficult thing. The activity is done as a service and people do not want to keep a count on that. Even during the Guinness World Record initiative, we produced 11 lakh saplings, but we did not have documentation for that. We made a representation to the Guinness World Records only for 8.5 lakh because we only have records for 8.5 lakh sapling plantation.” Greenhands believe that it had been able to convert 65-70% of the saplings it had planted to trees. “Technically, it is not an easy job to assess the conversion figures. We did some random sampling. Based on the data we collected, we got technical inputs from a forest officer and from those inputs, we arrived at this figure. We would like the conversion rate to move up to 75%”, mentioned Anand. To improve the conversion rate, Greenhands had been assessing the reasons on the variance in conversion rate at different regions. It found that conversion rate had been high in regions like Pudukkottai (as much as 80%) while it is much lower in areas like Trichy (approximately 40%). Greenhands had taken a decision that in regions like Trichy it will plant only saplings in watershed areas. Similar tailor made solutions were evolved for all districts of TN. PEOPLE DYNAMICS Sadhguru narrated 22 an incident that happened during his visit to Mysore for conducting a meditation program. There he met his English teacher from school times. “And after it (the programme) was over, she came and hugged me and said, ‘Now I know why you didn’t let me teach Robert Frost’. I said, ‘Why would I not let you teach Robert Frost? I like Robert Frost.’ ‘No, no, do you remember you did not allow me to teach Robert Frost.’ I said, ‘Ma’am, why would I do that?’ Then she reminded me and I remembered... She came and introduced Frost and she started, ‘Woods are lovely dark and deep...’ 23 I said, ‘Stop it. Any man who calls a tree a wood, I don’t want to listen to him.’ She said, ‘No, No, Robert Frost is a great poet.’ I said, ‘I don’t care how great he is, If calls a tree, a wood, I don’t want to listen to him.’” The project started with the effort of a few people, and Greenhands did not have any 22 In a felicitation ceremony, when PGH won the Indira Gandhi Pariyavaran Puraskar, the highest award given by Government ofIndia to individuals and organizations that have made significant and measurable contributions in the field of environment protection and improvement. 23 From the famous poem titled ‘Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening’ 700 Annexures